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questions to ask suppliers . “ Just asking the right questions can ’ t be overstated ,” Low says .
It ’ s better understood elsewhere . In the United Kingdom , the company ran a competition for chefs about sustainable seafood , and two winners received an all-expenses-paid trip to a fish farm and fishery that was sustainably certified . “ It was just a great morale boost for our team , and they got excited and told their peers ,” she says .
Chefs , she says , are often the driving force
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behind sustainability efforts , and their enthusiasm carries over to diners as well as suppliers .
It was their executive chef in Singapore , she says , who led the hotel to be the first in Asia to be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council ’ s chain of custody certifications , which assure diners that the seafood on their plates is sustainably caught and farmed . The MSC is the leading certifier for wild-capture fishers , while the ASC is
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a leading certifier of seafood farms .
Suppliers need to understand that sustainable certifications can lead to more profits . “ It depends on whether suppliers see the commercial viability of moving toward a more sustainable operation ,” Low says . In Singapore , the hotel facilitated conversations between suppliers and other buyers , including hotels and restaurants , about the importance of sustainability .
“ We ’ ve seen a tripling in the number of suppliers being certified ,” she
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says of the effort . “ And this wasn ’ t because it was necessarily the right thing to do . It was primarily that they could see the business opportunity .”
It ’ s also important for hotels to see the financial viability , she says , as sustainably sourced seafood often costs more . To determine diners ’ preferences , Hilton started marking on some of its hotels ’ menus which items were sustainably sourced . “ We consistently see our sustainably certified seafood items become bestsellers ,” she says .
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Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai has direct relationships with suppliers to ensure their claims of sustainability ( pictured is the resort ’ s
Italian chef , Marco Avesani ).
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36 hotelsmag . com January / February 2019 |